


Playdates

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Earth, Challenge Response, Cheating, Childbirth, Children, Community: stargate_pad, Community: stargateland, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Female Character of Color, Female Friendship, Female-Centric, M/M, Martial Arts, Multi, POV Female Character, Partner Betrayal, Past Relationship(s), Post Sunday, Prompt Fic, Romantic Friendship, Single Parents, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-19
Updated: 2011-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-22 20:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/242431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Single mothers Teyla and Laura meet on the playground</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playdates

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a Stargate_PAD prompt, "Laura Cadman/Teyla Emmagan; single mothers" that I loved and had a plot bunny for, but never really did anything with. Stargateland's AU challenge finally prompted me to actually do it. :D It is more pre-relationship Laura/Teyla than actual romance... maybe if I write a sequel...

Teyla allowed young Jaylle to pull her towards the area of the park containing the slide and swings, finally releasing his hand once they got to the sandy play area. Jaylle took off at a dead run to join the other children swarming on the equipment, and Teyla looked around tiredly for a place to sit. One of the picnic tables had only one occupant, and Teyla headed for it.

"Excuse me, but could I sit here, please?" she asked politely.

"What? Oh, sure!" the other woman gestured broadly at the other side of the table and then stuck a bookmark into her book. It was a dollar bin style romance novel; Teyla could tell from the perfect-looking couple on the cover.

"Thank you. I am Teyla Sh- Emmagan." Teyla set down her bag and Jaylle's backpack before seating herself where she could easily keep an eye on the laughing children.

"Laura Beckett," the other woman held her hand out and Teyla shook it. "So which one is yours?"

Teyla quickly scanned the playground for her son. "Jaylle is on the end-most swing, the one with the messy black hair."

"That's an unusual name," Laura commented. "Does it mean something?"

"Yes, it means sun child. His father wanted to call him Bob or Steve, but I refused."

"Sounds like your husband has as good a taste in names as mine did." Laura muttered.

"Ex." Teyla corrected softly. "Which child is yours?"

"Oh, I have four," Laura smiled. "Tavey and Tamnis are those blonde terrors who have taken control of the pirate ship, Catriona is the little blonde on the tire swing there, and the brunette pushing her is Neilan."

Teyla resisted the urge to raise her eyebrow, but something of her curiosity must have shown on her face, because Laura laughed. "He was Scottish, you see, my husband, and those are," she affected a thick brogue, "traditional Scottish names."

"I see." Teyla nodded, and then something caught her attention. "He was?"

"Oh, uh, yes. Carson died four years ago, when Catriona was a baby. Someone planted a bomb in the hospital where he worked." Laura said the words quickly, without emotion, but Teyla could tell that Laura was keeping much bottled beneath her calm surface.

"I'm sorry," she offered.

Laura shrugged. "Me too, but there's no way to change what happened. I just take it slow and do the best I can for my children. And fortunately my boss is very understanding."

"What do you do?" Teyla asked. She had noticed the military style jacket on the bench behind Laura, partially buried under the brightly colored children's jackets, but hadn't been able to tell if it was a real one.

"I'm a Lieutenant in the Marines," Laura said with a touch of pride. "I used to work in recruit training, but after Carson… they switched me to a desk job. It isn't as much fun, but I work regular hours, which is better."

"I understand. John, my ex, was an Air Force pilot, and he used to be off at odd times on training or rescue runs." Teyla felt a surge of the anger she had been keeping pressed down for so long and allowed a small hint of it to break through her mental blocks. "Although, now I have to wonder how often those training runs were just a cover."

"Cheater?" Laura guessed, her voice filled with sympathy.

Teyla nodded. "One of their civilian scientists. John gave up his entire career, me, everything…" Teyla traced one hand over her swollen belly. "I hope that man appreciates it."

"John?" Laura sounded confused, and Teyla realized that she had badly worded her last comment.

Teyla's lip curled up in a sneer. "Rodney. John's lover. I hope he appreciates what John gave up for him."

Laura's mouth dropped open in shock - a reaction Teyla was finding to be fairly common. To avoid it, she glanced around the playground, easily finding Jaylle, who was now jumping on the frog pads. A further scan showed that Laura's four seemed to be doing alright as well.

After a long pause, Laura finally regained her voice. "I think I actually heard about that," she said quietly.

Teyla's head snapped up, and she drilled the other woman with a hard stare.

Laura hurried to explain. "One of the men who works in the office with me is off active duty because of allegations that he's gay. He was talking about how this Air Force officer just ran off with another man, and how it might hurt or help his case. But that was only about six months ago."

"Seven," Teyla corrected softly. Three days after a missed period and a doctor's appointment confirmed that she was pregnant again.

"Oh my god, Teyla, I am so sorry," Laura reached across the table and placed her hand on Teyla's arm. The touch was warm and comforting - conveying the sympathy of someone who had been through bad times in her own life without the pity of a person who had no clue what it felt like to lose a husband. Laura's hand lingered for a moment before she suddenly jerked to her feet.

"Tamnis, if you hit your brother one more time you will be on time out for a year!" she yelled.

oOo

That was their first meeting. When it came time to return to their homes, Laura and Teyla agreed to meet at the park the next week, at the same time. It was the day that Laura got out of work early, and the afternoon that Teyla currently had free, and so it seemed like the perfect choice.

oOo

"So what do you do, Teyla?" Laura asked, the second afternoon.

"I own and run a Fighting House, called Lua." Teyla replied, prepared for the scorn that most people showed to a woman fighter.

"Like a Dojo?" Laura asked, instead, her voice full of curiosity.

Once again Teyla had to remind herself that Laura was a warrior in the Marines - she would not denigrate Teyla for being a fighter. She shook her head, half in shame at her own fear and half in negation.

"Lua is similar, but instead of teaching Asian fighting like Karate, we teach Island arts, like Kajukenbo, Limalama, Sanjitsu, and Arnis. I am currently forbidden to teach or spar," Teyla rubbed her belly affectionately, "but I still do all of the office work as usual. My friend Ronon is currently in charge of the teachings, as he was when I had Jaylle."

"Your friend Ronon, eh?" Laura raised an eyebrow suggestively.

Teyla shook her head, smiling. "His wife babysits Jaylle for me sometimes." She laughed lightly at Laura's expression. She was not the first to assume that Teyla and Ronon were involved, but she had always seen him as a brother, rather than as a lover.

Laura laughed as well, shrugging. "Well, you can't blame me for assuming."

No, Teyla couldn't blame her for assuming.

"Tavey, you give that girl back her shoe or I swear to god!" Laura shouted. Teyla looked up in time to see one of the twins meekly hand a pink and white sneaker back to a tearful girl who appeared to be Jaylle's age. The girl accepted it and then quickly ran over to a table near theirs. "Now go apologize!" Laura instructed, glaring until the boy trudged over to do as he was told.

Teyla felt a smile growing on her face at the scene. Laura reminded her a bit of Jennifer, and the way she would indiscriminately chastise her children and her husband in the same tone.

Apparently satisfied that Tavey had apologized and was going to behave for a while, Laura plopped back down on her seat. "That's an interesting smile."

"I was just thinking of how you remind me of my friend Jennifer." Teyla admitted. "She speaks just like that to her children. And to her husband. And his friends."

Laura laughed and Teyla joined her. It was easier to laugh like this, out in the afternoon sunshine, with a person who in no way reminded her of John.

Abruptly Laura stopped laughing. "Oh, that reminds me!" she grabbed her bag and began rummaging through it. At last she pulled out an overstuffed daily planner and flipped it open. "Oh good, it isn't until five."

Teyla made a questioning sound as Laura shoved the planner back into her bag.

"Oh, the kids have a doctor's appointment later, and I couldn't remember if it was at 4:30 or 5:oo." Laura dropped her bag back onto the pile of bags beside her.

"And I reminded you of that how?" Teyla asked.

"Just the name - Jenifer. The kid's doctor is a Jennifer too, and so…" Laura shrugged.

"Jennifer Keller?" Teyla replied, a sudden rush of curiosity overcoming her.

Laura nodded, "Yeah. Is she Jaylle's doctor too?"

"Yes, among other things. She is actually the friend I was talking about," Teyla found the coincidence startling. "Her husband is Ronon, my partner at Lua."

"Oh, so you met through him?"

"Actually, it was the other way around," Teyla admitted. "Ronon had been working for me for some time when Jennifer took over her father's practice. Dr Keller Senior had been our physician for the House for years, and one afternoon Ronon was injured and had to go to Dr Keller's office. Jennifer treated him, and they hit it off. It is convenient, sometimes, to have a doctor 'in the family.'"

oOo

Laura thought it was very convenient to have a doctor in the family, the day that Teyla went into labor on the park bench. As she frantically searched through her address book to find Dr Keller's phone number, Laura thanked any deity she could think of that she happened to know who Teyla's doctor was.

"Neilan!" she yelled. "You get everyone together, including Jaylle, and get over here!" Laura turned her attention back to Teyla and spoke in a softer tone. "Just keep breathing. In and out, remember?" Teyla puffed and hissed as instructed, and Laura finally found the phone number.

"Dr Keller's office, Macie speaking, how may I help you today?" The receptionist sounded young, and Laura hoped that she wouldn't be the type to freak out under stress.

"Yes, I'm Laura Beckett. I need to speak to Dr Keller right away."

"Dr Keller is currently-"

Laura cut the girl off, "Look, interrupt her. Tell her that Teyla Emmagan is going into labor and that we need to be picked up."

The receptionist tried again. "If this is an emergency, you really should call-"

"Don't tell me what to do, girl, just get Jennifer, alright!" Laura snapped, her inner drill sergeant coming out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Teyla was still breathing steadily, though now Jaylle was holding her hand. Neilan was helping Catriona with her jacket, and all four boys were already wearing theirs.

After what seemed like too long of a wait, Laura heard the background noise on the phone change slightly before a cool voice said. "This is Jennifer. How far apart are the contractions?"

Laura let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Some small part of her had feared that the receptionist girl, whatever her name was, would have refused to get the doctor. "About every seven minutes, but they're over a minute long."

"And where are you?" Jennifer was calm and unflappable as she always seemed to be.

"The park just off Eleventh Street, by the swings," Laura replied. "I'd take her in the car, but we've got all the kids with us."

"I understand. I’ll call Ronon at the House and someone should be there in about ten minutes."

Laura heard Jennifer barking crisp orders at someone in the background before she returned to the phone. "Is she breathing properly?"

Laura glanced over at Teyla and found her in the same position, still breathing properly. "Yeah."

"Good. Try to keep her calm and breathing, but see if she feels up to walking."

"Alright." Laura half-covered the phone with her hand and leaned across the picnic table. "Think you can walk to the cars?" she asked.

Teyla finished a round of breathing and then nodded. "Yes. I believe so."

"Good. Does everyone have their bag?" Laura asked the children. There was a swarm of movement, and when it subsided, all five children were wearing their own backpacks, and Tavey and Tamnis each held one of the women's purses. Neilan was holding Catriona and Jaylle by the hand, all three of them looking at Laura expectantly.

"Alright, then, I guess were good to go," Laura said. She glanced around the table to be certain that they hadn't left anything behind, and then she quickly scooted around the table to lend an arm to Teyla. "We're walking now," she reported to Jennifer.

"So I gathered." Laura heard a hint of laughter in the doctor's voice and she realized that she must have been speaking to the children loudly enough for it to carry over the phone.

Somehow they all made it successfully to the parking lot, where Laura found Teyla’s car. She got the other woman comfortably settled in the front seat and then quickly pulled Jaylle’s car seat out of the back. Fortunately, they were only parked a few spaces apart, and she was able to herd the children down to her jeep. She’d only just gotten the youngest children in place when a dark cargo van bearing the Lua logo pulled up.

“Uncle Ronon!” Jaylle called, speaking for the first time since Teyla had begun her labor.

A tall, dreadlocked man who Laura recognized from Teyla’s photos got out of the passenger’s side and swung the young boy up into his arms. “Hey little man,” he said. His voice was gruff, but there was a fond tint to it. “So your mom’s finally having the baby, huh?”

Jaylle nodded, looking worriedly over at the other car.

“Well Aunty Jennifer is going to take good care of her,” he said reassuringly. “And then you’ll get a new baby sister, right?”

Jaylle nodded again, looking slightly cheered.

“I’ve got the car seats set up, but one of the older boys will need to go in the van,” Laura added. “I’ll take Teyla to the hospital in her car.”

Ronon nodded. “Jen’ll meet you there. Alright, who wants to ride in the big van with Uncle Halling?” he called.

Tamnis immediately raised his hand, beating his twin by a second. “Tam it is,” Laura declared.

As he ran over and pulled himself into the high van, Ronon turned to the other four children. “Let’s get going!”

As they scrambled to obey, Laura hurried back to Teyla, pleased to find that the other woman was still breathing properly. “Alright, Ronon and Halling have the kids.” Teyla smiled with relief, and then gasped as another contraction hit her. “And that’s out cue!” Laura quickly started the car. “We’re off!”

oOo

As Rhanya finished her first meal and fell asleep, Teyla looked up at Laura with a warm but exhausted smile. “Thank you for staying with me.”

Laura smiled back, “I never realized how tiring it was to be on this side of things!” she replied cheerfully. “Not nearly as bad as being on that side of the bed, but still I’m ready for a nap!”

“You’re lucky she let you stay at all,” Jennifer said, reentering the room with a handful of folders. “When Jaylle was born she kicked all the men out of the room within the first twenty minutes.”

Laura glanced over at Teyla, who was smirking. “You didn’t want to squeeze the life out of John’s hand?” she teased.

A slight frown crossed Teyla’s face for a brief moment before she smiled again. “John was away on military business when Jaylle was born.”

Laura nodded in understanding. “Military business, or _military business_?” she asked sharply.

Jennifer shrugged and quickly returned to the original topic. “We never knew. Ronon volunteered to have his hand squozen, but then he wouldn’t stop asking questions that annoyed us.”

“Like ‘how much does that hurt?’ and ‘How big is this baby gonna be, again?’” Teyla added with fond annoyance.

“Kicking him out was a wise choice, then,” Laura replied knowingly. “I was spared that indignity, and also the hand squeezing; Carson delivered all four of ours.”

“Oh that must have been fun!” Jennifer teased. “Kind of hard to banish the hubby if he’s also the attending!”

“You know it!” Laura grinned. “With Neil, I was screaming at him to get out or go to hell and he just kept telling me calmly to push. By the end of it I wanted to push _him_ off a cliff, but it was so worth it when I got to hold my boy for the first time.” All three women grinned reminiscently. “I was slightly calmer the next two times.” Laura added.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Jennifer snapped her fingers. “When I was out I called the boys to let them know that it was over. Ronon said that the kids were having a sleepover on the spare mats at the House and loving it, so you’re welcome to stay here the rest of the night if you’d like.”

Laura glanced over at Teyla, whose eyes were already drooping. “Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes, please,” was her quiet reply.

Smiling, Laura sank back into the soft chair next to the hospital bed and immediately felt her own eyes slipping closed. It was certainly surprising how exhausting it was to coach someone through labor. Jennifer handed her a blanket, which Laura loosely draped over her knees. “Good night, Jennifer.”

“Good night, ladies,” she replied with a smile. As Jennifer scooped up little Rhanya to take her back to the NICU, Teyla stretched out her arm. Laura met her in the middle, and Teyla gently clasped her hand. Smiling, both women drifted off together.


End file.
